Atmospheric Electricity:

Lightning is a typical disastrous weather associated with thunderstorms, causing certain social and economic losses every summer. After the collision and rebound of different types of hydrometeors such as ice crystals and graupel, they carry different types of charges and redistribute by the air flow, forming an electric field within the cloud. When the electric field is strong enough, lightning will occur. 

High-speed camera photography of lightning

Artificial lightning triggering

Lightning mapping result by VHF interferomer

Lightning generates VLF-VHF broadband electromagnetic radiation. Through detection of lightning-generated electromagnetic signals  by an antenna array, high-resolution lightning channel can be mapped. Combining with radar, sounding, and other data, physical issues related to lightning are studied.

Scientific concern:

1. How lightning initiates within the cloud

2. How lightning develops, propagates, and generates broadband electromagnetic radiation

3. The relationship between lightning and severe convection and its nowcasting

2019.06-2022.11, Institute of Atmospheric Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences, Postdoctoral Research

2022.11-now,Institute of Atmospheric Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences, Assistant Professor

Zhu, J., Yuan, S.*, Qie, X., Jiang, R., Liu, M., Feng, G., & Wang, Y. (2024). Initiation of Downward Positive Leader Beneath the Negative Leader Channel. Geophysical Research Letters, 51(20), e2024GL109961. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109961

Yuan, S., Qie, X., Jiang, R., Sun, Z., Li, F., & Yang, J. (2023). Lightning VHF radiation mapping method for an irregular short-baseline array. Earth and Space Science, 10(5), e2022EA002752. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EA002752

Jiang, R., Yuan, S., Qie, X., Liu, M., & Wang, D. (2022). Activation of abundant recoil leaders and their promotion effect on the negative-end breakdown in an intracloud lightning flash. Geophysical Research Letters, 49(1), e2021GL096846. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096846

Yuan, S., Qie, X., Jiang, R., Wang, D., Wang, Y., Wang, C., et al. (2021). In‐Cloud Discharge of Positive Cloud‐To‐Ground Lightning and Its Influence on the Initiation of Tower‐Initiated Upward Lightning. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 126(24), e2021JD035600. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD035600

Yuan, S., Jiang, R., Qie, X., & Wang, D. (2021). Side discharges from the active negative leaders in a positive cloud‐to‐ground lightning flash. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(17), e2021GL094127. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094127

Qie X, Yuan S, Chen Z, Wang D, Liu D, Sun M, Sun Z, Srivastava A, Zhang H, Lu J, Xiao H, Bi Y, Feng L, Tian Y, Xu Y, Jiang R, Liu M, Xiao X, Duan S, Su D, Sun C, Xu W, Zhang Y, Lu G, Zhang D, Yin Y, Yu Y. 2020. Understanding the dynamical-microphysical-electrical processes associated with severe thunderstorms over the Beijing metropolitan region. Science China Earth Sciences, 64(1): 10–26, https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11430-020-9656-8

Yuan, S., Qie, X., Jiang, R., Wang, D., Sun, Z., Srivastava, A., & Williams, E. (2020). Origin of an uncommon multiple‐stroke positive cloud‐to‐ground lightning flash with different terminations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 125(15), e2019JD032098. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD032098

Qie, X., Yuan, S., Chen, Z., Wang, D., Liu, D., Sun, M., et al. (2020). Understanding the dynamical-microphysical-electrical processes associated with severe thunderstorms over the Beijing metropolitan region. Science China Earth Sciences, 64(1), 10–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-020-9656-8

Yuan, S., Jiang, R., Qie, X., Sun, Z., Wang, D., & Srivastava, A. (2019). Development of side bidirectional leader and its effect on channel branching of the progressing positive leader of lightning. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(3), 1746–1753. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080718

Yuan, S., Jiang, R., Qie, X., Wang, D., Sun, Z., & Liu, M. (2017). Characteristics of upward lightning on the Beijing 325 m meteorology tower and corresponding thunderstorm conditions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 122(22), 12,093-12,105. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD027198